Around The World in 18 or 19 Days

My round the world journey is over.  A few statistics:

Miles traveled (by air):  25,786

Flights:  13

Missed flights:  1 (thanks Pakistan for ruining a perfect record)

Hotels:  9

Countries:  6

I went through so many security checkpoints, validations, pat downs, inspections, x-rays, and immigration lines that I wondered why no one scanned my purse or frisked me when I stepped into Whole Foods yesterday.

This trip left me with so many things to ponder and reflect on.  I was amazingly lucky to have travel partners who were fun to hang out with and easy to travel with.  They started out as strangers and ended up as friends.

I would be hard pressed to pick one place or one moment that was my favorite.  Each of the three main countries visited have so many wonderful things about them.  The people in the Philippines were the most friendly and hospitable but of course, the Indians are pretty great in that area too.  Singapore was the prettiest place, so clean, modern and efficient.  Our crazy taxi driver (“you all want hookers?!”), having our feet eaten by tiny fish and of course the amazing rooftop, infinity pool at the Marina Bay Sands made Singapore the perfect place for us to have a little R&R between the Philippines and India.

The paradox of India still leaves me confused.  But I’m not confused about how great the food is.

Over the last three to four days of my trip, I traveled alone from Delhi to Hyderabad to Chennai to London to Atlanta.  I missed my buddies and all the laughter.  But it was in Hyderabad that I think I had the most memorable moments of the trip.

I was picked up at the Hyderabad airport by Pramod, who would be my driver for the next day and a half.  He had a huge smile and was holding a sign with my name on it.  After exchanging introductions he led me through the crowds of people to the car.

He informed me that we had about a 50 minute drive to my hotel.  And then, like most of the drivers I’d been around, he was quiet – for a while.

He asked me where I was from and I answered, “Atlanta – in the United States.” 

Then he said, “Are you able to understand me ok?”

“Yes, I can understand you very well.”

And that opened the floodgates.  We started talking and didn’t stop until he dropped me back at the airport late the next day.

Pramod explained that a few years before when he had first gotten his job as a driver, an English-speaking passenger had complained to Pramod’s employer because he didn’t speak well and didn’t understand what the passenger was saying.  “That day changed my life”, he told me.

“I was so ashamed that I couldn’t be understood by this man that I vowed to teach myself English so I would never be ashamed to speak to my passengers again.”

“I watched English-speaking movies and television with sub-titles over and over again.  I tried to sound like the people in the movies when I spoke.  I like the American accent the best.”

I was astonished. This guy spoke better than a lot of the business people I had been meeting with.  Over the next three long car rides, Pramod and I talked about everything from his arranged marriage, the death of Eddie, religion, politics, Oprah and motorbikes. 

He is 23 and has been married for one year.  He grew up in a village about a 2 hour train trip from Hyderabad.  His father picks rice for a living.  His family became Christian when his grandfather converted when he was a young man.  “I love Jesus”, Pramod proudly told me.

He told me how his parents called him to say they had selected a girl for him.  He was to come home as soon as possible to meet her and her parents.  After a short meeting, he and the girl agreed to the marriage (apparently they had veto power) and within a few weeks the wedding took place.

His wife is Hindu and while they had a Christian marriage ceremony, Pramod explained that he will not make her convert.  “She will be Hindu, I will be Christian.  It will work.”  Quite a liberal stance, considering.

“Where is your husband?”, he asked.

I thought for a second.  No need to make this complicated.  “I’m a widow.”

“I don’t know that word, widow.”

“He’s dead.”

“How long?”

“Just over two years.”

“You are still sad, yes?”

“Yes.”

He wanted to know if I voted for Obama and if Bush was a bad man.  I set him straight on both questions and he explained that most lower-caste people in India, like him, don’t vote.  “The politicians don’t represent me”, he stated.  I told him none of them do, no matter where you live.

And then we talked about Oprah.  Pramod loves the Oprah Network and watches it every chance he gets.  “Oprah is a very kind person.  She loves everyone.”  I couldn’t argue with that.  “Yes”, I said.  “Oprah is a wonderful woman.”

“She was born very poor, yes?  Like me.  And now she is the richest woman in the world.”

He went on to tell me about shaking Richard Gere’s hand when he came to Hyderabad to meet with Buddhist leaders.  He also saw the car Bill Clinton was riding in.  Oh, and he loves Michael Jackson music and wishes he hadn’t died.

Pramod rides a Yamaha 150 motorbike.  According to him, it was very expensive but worth it.  His wife likes to go for rides with him on the weekends.  They go to the park and eat ice cream.  If we had had time, he was going to take me to the Hyderabad Harley-Davidson dealership.  Now, that would have been memorable.  Maybe next time.

When it was time to say goodbye to Pramod at the airport, I was really sad.  This was an impressive young man - obviously, very intelligent and with a personality that just shined.

I asked him if he and his wife were happy now that they have gotten to know each other.  He smiled a huge smile and said, “Oh yes.  We are very happy.  Very, very happy.”

And I was very happy that I got to meet Pramod.

He is the essence of what makes traveling so wonderful.  Humans from the most different places you can imagine, connecting. 

Thank you, Jesus and Oprah.